1While the enemies are angry, and scoff, Nehemiah prayeth to God, and buildeth the wall. 7Understanding their secret plottings, he setteth a watch. 13He armeth the labourers, and giveth instructions how to proceed in case of an alarm.
1BUT it came to pass, that when 1Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was 2wroth, and took 3great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
1 See Neh. 2 on verse 10.
2 Hebr. to him kindled, namely, the anger. Also verse 7.
3 Hebr. much, greatly.
2And he spake 4before his brethren and the 5army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? 6will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end 7in a day? will they 8revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
4 Hebr. before the face.
5 To incense the soldiers against the Jews, and to set them on.
6 Other, Shall they rear it up or build it up?
7 Or, in this day; as if he said: Do they think to make an end the same day that they have begun or concluded the matter? They shall be wrong.
8 That is, restore it in its former condition.
3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down 9their stone wall.
9 Hebr. the wall of their stones.
4Hear, O our God; 10for we are 11despised: and turn their 12reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the 13land of captivity:
10 Or, that we are greatly despised.
11 Hebr. a contempt.
12 Which they inflict upon us.
13 Whither Thou shalt cast them out. Nehemiah desires this out of an holy zeal for God’s glory, and against the bitter armies of God and His people.
5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out 14from before thee: for they have provoked 15thee to anger before the 16builders.
14 That is, so as that Thou wouldest not see it to punish it; as Jer. 18:23.
15 Hebr. they have incensed or provoked to anger over against the builders. Other, they have incensed the builders, standing over against them, namely, as enemies that stand and provoke a man to his face or in his sight.
16 Who are a building at Thy command, and by Thy grace and favor.
6So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the 17half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
17 Understand the half of the height, the half height.
7¶But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the 18Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard 19that the walls of Jerusalem 20were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
18 See 2 Chron. 20 on verse 1.
19 Or, that the repairing to the walls, etc.; Hebr. health, healing, curing, to put on a bandage, bandage. Also 2 Chron. 24:13. Compare also Jer. 8:22.
20 Hebr. climbeth up, cometh up, goeth up; as it may be said of health, that it cometh up, climbeth up or goeth up when it increases and it makes a man better and better daily; likewise of a bandage that is put upon or laid on, and that there comes a scab or scar upon the wound.
8And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and toa hinder 21it.
a Hebr. to make an error to it.
21 Or, to hinder him, namely, Nehemiah.
9Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch 22against them day and night, 23because of them.
22 Other, over or beside them, namely, over the workmen.
23 Namely, because of the enemies.
10And 24Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is 25decayed, and there is much 26rubbish; so that we are 27not able to build the wall.
24 That is, the Jews, the people of Judah.
25 In order that they shall not be fit to fight.
26 There remains yet much dirt, earth of the broken and decayed wall to be carried away.
27 In regard we must be in arms against the enemy. See verse 15. Other, building on the wall, we shall not have the upper hand; being not able to do both as we ought.
11And our adversaries said, 28They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
28 That is, we shall execute the attempt as such that they shall not perceive anything till, etc.
12And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us 29ten times, From all places 30whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
29 That is, often, frequently warned us. See Gen. 31 on verse 7.
30 That is, by which they are wont to go to and fro, that is, through all ways and passages by which a man may come from this place to the other and vice versa.
13¶Therefore set I 31in the lower places behind the wall, and on the 32higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
31 Hebr. from the nethermost or lowermost parts of the place, from behind, etc.
32 Or, sharp pointed places, butting out of rock and stones, which may be so called by reason of their whiteness or slipperiness.
14And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the 33nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Beb not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
33 Hebr. white ones. See Neh. 2:16.
b Num. 14:9; Deut. 1:21; 20:3.
15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my 34servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were 35behind all the house of Judah.
34 That is, youths, courtiers, officers, and such often in the sequel.
35 Every one by those of his own house or family, to encourage the people by their presence and supervision, and to advance and further the work.
17They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, 36every one with 37one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a 38weapon.
36 Of the bearers of burdens and of those that laded.
37 By this action they lively represent the state and condition of the church militant on earth, who must with the one hand continually build at the work of the Lord, and with the other defend themselves against their spiritual and corporal enemies.
38 Understand a casting weapon, a javelin, half lance, etc.
18For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19¶And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, 39one far from another.
39 Hebr. the man from his brother.
20In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: ourc God shall fight for us.
c Exod. 14:25; Deut. 1:30; 28:7.
21So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from 40the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
40 That is, from the early morning until late in the evening.
22Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge 41within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
41 Hebr. in the midst of, etc.
23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which 42followed me, none of us put off 43our clothes, 44saving that every one put them off for washing.
42 Or, which were behind me.
43 On account of the danger.
44 Other, every one went with his weapon for water, or, every one put off his clothes for bathing or washing; or, to quench his thirst, because it was very hot in those countries. See 1 Sam. 26:11.